The Hunted
by Thanatopsis
Summary: {Complete}Strider is being pursued by bounty hunters for reasons unknown to him. Legolas stays with him to try and keep him safe but will that be enough.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places from the Lord of the Rings. They belong to the author, J. R. R. Tolkien.

Summary: Strider is being pursued by bounty hunters for reasons unknown to him. Legolas stays with him to try and keep him safe but will that be enough.

I hope you enjoy this story.

Chapter One

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This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing  
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;  
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining  
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,  
But whose velvet-violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,  
She_ shall press, ah, nevermore!_

-- Edgar Allen Poe

"Estel, what are you doing?"

Estel ignored his brother's question and continued on his way. He was going to kill Legolas as soon as he found him. Elrohir got a closer looked at his human brother and could not hold back the fit of laughter. Strider only glared at him as he walked toward the stairs. He knew that he could not trust Legolas while he was asleep. He should have listened when the elf had said that he needed to brush his hair. Now he was stuck with braids that he could not get out. He just hoped that he did not see his father before he killed Legolas. Elrohir was the only that had seen it. His hand ran through the braids again. He was not even aware that the elf had brushed his hair and then braided it. There must have been something in the water that he was given the night before.

He caught sight of Legolas and quickly moved to catch up to the elf. The Prince of Mirkwood knew he had been spotted and began to run for cover but was laughing too hard to remember where to run to. He grabbed Elladan's arm in an attempt to have the older twin help him but his friend did not want to help. Elladan had seen his human brother earlier that morning and knew that Estel was upset. He did not want to get in the middle of it.

Legolas glanced once more where Estel was. The human was not far from where he had been standing. The elf's eyes showed his surprise and he turned and began to run as fast as he could. He did not want to feel the human's wrath.

__

Just a little farther, Estel thought evilly, _and then I have him. He is going to pay_. He lunged and caught the elf by the waist. Both friends went down in the grass, in a tangle of arms and legs. Elladan ran to them, with a few others behind him. Though Legolas knew that he had been caught, he was still laughing hard.

"Estel, just let him go. I think he understands."

The human shook his head. Legolas knew he was in trouble. Still, the site of Strider with his dark hair in braids was enough to keep him laughing. He told him that he was going to brush the human's hair if he did not do it himself. He just slipped a little something in the water last night and brushed out all of the snarls in his hair. He could not help but braid it.

"Why did you do this?" Estel tried to hold his anger in check but to no avail. His anger made his grip weak and before he knew it, Legolas had slipped free and was running through the courtyard. Elladan grabbed his brother's arms and pinned him to the ground.

SSSSS

Elrond saw his youngest twin son laughing hard on the ground. He raised an eyebrow questionably but did not bother to ask why he was laughing. He personally did not want to know. He saw Glorfindel standing on the balcony looking over the courtyard. Laughter was in his eyes and he could not hide it. He was shaking his head when he heard Elrond walking closer. The elf lord looked at the scene unfolding, a hint of amusement entering his eyes.

"It looks as though Legolas has braided your son's hair. I never thought I would see the day when that would happen."

Elrond chuckled slightly. He could not help it. Estel, with his dark hair in braids, being pinned down by his brother was quite a sight. Legolas was carefully making his way back after he thought it was safe. Strider was still trying to break free of Elladan's grip but was unsuccessful.

SSSSS

"Estel, Father needs us to go hunting. Can you calm down long enough to do that?" Elladan was trying his best to calm his brother. To his surprise, his human brother relaxed and nodded. He would just get Legolas while they were hunting. Elladan let him go and the young ranger quickly got to his feet. Legolas prepared to run if he needed to but when Strider only turned around and walked away, he went after him.

"Estel, let me take those out for you." Laughter edged the prince's voice as he caught up with his friend. Strider glared at him.

His best friend had humiliated him. He promised himself that he would take care of Legolas when they left to go hunting. His brothers would be the only witnesses. They entered the house and went upstairs so that Estel could put on his boots and grab his cloak. He had run outside with bare feet after finding out what had been done to him.

"Could you, please? They are driving me insane." He sat down on the bed and allowed the elf to quickly undo what he had done. He could hear the prince's soft chuckles under his breath and could not help but smile.

"I warned you. You did not brush your hair and I said that I would. Too bad you fell asleep. You could have stopped me but you looked so cute."

Legolas barely missed the hand that tried to hit him. He began to head to the door once he finished but watched Strider carefully. He did not want to be caught by the young human.

"You drugged me. How was I supposed to stay awake?"

Legolas darted from the room, only to be stopped short by the twins. They ushered him quickly down the stairs with Strider on their heels. He was not going to let the hide his friend this time. A hand grabbed him and held him still.

"Be careful, Estel. You three be careful as well." Elrond spoke to his sons and Legolas before letting Strider go.

The young ranger's horse was brought to him and he climbed on, still trying to get at the prince. The two friends raced to the gates. "Please do watch out and try to return home unscathed." The twins nodded and started off after the other two before Estel killed poor Legolas.

SSSSS

Legolas had caught sight of the deer and, quietly, he and Strider followed it. The Prince of Mirkwood had just taken aim when both heard the angry shouts of men coming from somewhere behind them. The deer was startled by the sudden noise and darted for cover. Legolas looked behind him and cautiously moved towards the noise. They saw four men looking at prints that were embedded into the earth, arguing loudly over whom they belonged to. A taller man, the tallest of the bunch, came forward, whispering something that the elf even had trouble hearing from where they were hiding.

"Be quiet, Lanon. If you don't, then he'll know that we are here looking for him. Come on, there must be some other clues."

The man called Lanon stood up and followed, the others going after them in silence. The friends looked at each other, wondering what person the four men were looking for. Legolas gently nudged Strider and they began to head back to their camp. Elladan and Elrohir were sure to have beaten them there already.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Summary: See chapter one.

Chapter Two

Elladan and Elrohir looked up to see Estel and Legolas enter camp. Both twins raised eyebrows at the sight of them coming back empty-handed. The two friends looked slightly offended but they ended up laughing about it anyway. Legolas quieted them down eventually before telling the twins what he and Estel had discovered.

"Are you sure that is what they said?"

Estel nodded. Elladan glanced at his twin, who only shrugged his shoulders.

"We should get some rest and leave early tomorrow, just in case something does happen." The twins agreed with Legolas and gathered their things for the night's rest.

Estel handed a cup to Legolas, trying hard to conceal the smile that was trying desperately to plant itself on his face. The blonde elf did not seem to notice but his brothers certainly did. Before either one of them could say something, the elf had finished his cup and placed it on the ground.

A few minutes later, the elf's head dropped to his chest in a deep sleep. Estel let the smile come out and said that he would take first watch. The twins did not know what to say. They decided to stay quiet and soon their eyes glazed over and they fell asleep.

Estel took his watch shortly after he had taken care of Legolas. He kept his ears on constant alert and his sword rested on his knees in case he needed it. He scanned the area around him but still saw nothing wrong. A few hours later, he woke Elladan and went to sleep. He had to prepare himself for the next morning when Legolas awoke.

SSSSS

Elladan awoke to find Elrohir and Estel silently breaking camp and Legolas still asleep. This puzzled him but he knew what Estel had done. Another thing caught his eye though. There was something wrong with the prince's hair. It took him a moment to realize what had happened to his friend and turned to his human brother for an explanation. Estel did not offer one but by the smile on his face, he knew that Estel had exacted his revenge. Legolas would be furious when he found out what had happened.

"Estel, what did you do? Legolas will kill you when he wakes."

He could hear his twin snickering quietly and decided not to even bother asking again. It was obvious that Estel did not want to explain but he knew that he had gotten Legolas back for braiding his hair. He did have to admit though, his human brother did look quite cute.

The picture of Strider in braids brought a smile to his face and he turned to see Legolas coming out of his sleep. The elf was surprised that the brothers were up before him. He could see Estel smiling and knew that the human could not be trusted.

"You are quite the late bloomer, are you not Legolas?"

Elrohir had stopped snickering and was looking directly at the Prince of Mirkwood. The younger twin could barely contain his laughter and turned away from his friend. Legolas' brow furrowed in confusion but it was not until he shook his head that he saw what Elrohir was laughing about. Instead of blonde hair falling over his shoulders, his hair was purple.

The look of surprise on his face made all three brothers chuckle hysterically. Immediately the elf was on his feet and began advancing towards Estel. He knew that the human was responsible for his now purple hair. But, being perfectly honest, he did not expect Estel to do something like this.

"You!" Legolas let out the word with a growl.

Estel put his hands up to surrender but clutched his side in pain as he backed away. Legolas paused and to the human's surprise began to laugh. Estel silenced quickly, unsure if his friend really thought it was funny or was just playing along to let his guard down. Strider thought for sure it was the latter and he ran to his horse.

They had packed everything by the time the elf had finally risen from his slumber and he had done that for a reason--so that he could make a quick getaway. He mounted his horse and sped of without a second thought.

"You have him terrified, Legolas. He sure got you though." The prince's attention turned to the twins. They, too, became quiet. He would surely get them for not telling him that Estel had drugged him in order to dye the elf's hair.

"You two did not tell me that he was going to do this. How will I get it out?"

The elf began to advance on the twins, anger and amusement in his eyes. He really was not angry, just surprised at how Estel had done it. He made it look like he was upset in order to get the human to run off.

"We did not know what he was going to do. Father will have something that will help wash it out."

Legolas nodded and got up on his horse. He was determined to get the human before they made it back. He jumped lightly on his horse and darted after the retreating human. He had to catch up to him.

SSSSS

Elrond stood on one of the balconies that branched off of the home. He blinked a few times and then rubbed his eyes to make sure that what he was seeing was what he was seeing. Estel had jumped off his horse and was running as fast as he could from an elf with purple hair. It took the elf lord a few minutes to realize who the elf was.

Laughter was threatening to take him over. The twins had finished bringing in the deer and were chasing after their brother and friend. They were heading towards the small lake.

SSSSS

Legolas leaped and caught Estel by the shoulders. Both friends tumbled into the small lake, only to come up choking on the water. Estel was trying to get away from his friend but it was impossible. Legolas had him. He could not go anywhere. He heard his brothers coming their way decided to think of something to do quickly. The elf, however, was intent on stopping him from doing anything.

"You both asked for it. Now you got what you had asked for."

Elrohir was laughing and Elladan was watching the two with pure amusement in his eyes. Estel was forgotten for a split second as Legolas narrowed his eyes slightly. He still owed the twins for not telling him.

He looked at the human and smiled, his blue-grey eyes pointing silently to the twins. Estel nodded briefly and they worked their way over to them. The twins were caught by surprise and soon found themselves in the water as well. All four laughed, more at Legolas' purple than anything else.

"Are you sure that you father has something that can take this out?" The three brothers looked at the Prince of Mirkwood.

Elladan was just about to dunk Estel when the question was asked. Simultaneously, they nodded and pointed behind the once fair-haired elf. Legolas turned around and saw Lord Elrond standing behind him.

"I do have something that will help take it out. I cannot guarantee that it will, however."

Elrond smiled and placed something in the prince's hands. Legolas was relieved and left to see if he could get the purple dye out of his hair. The Lord of Rivendell turned his attention to his sons as they slowly made their way out of the lake.

"Estel, how did you get a hold of that?"

His youngest son smiled but did not answer. Elrond raised an eyebrow questionably but decided that he did not really want to know. He had seen his human son in braids and now the prince with purple hair. What is next? "Dinner will be ready in a little while. Wash up and please look decent." Elrond turned around and headed back towards his home. He had had quite a day.

Legolas met Strider as soon as the young ranger washed and dressed. Most of the elf's blonde hair returned to its normal color but there was still the hint of purple that did not seem to want to leave the prince. Estel chuckled softly and dodged his friend's hand. At least most of the purple came out.

"Most of it came out Legolas. Be happy that it did. Besides, you were the one that put my hair up in braids." Estel hurried down the stairs, fearful of what Legolas as going to do to him. The elf remained eerily calm. It was not something that Estel liked to see. It was obvious that his best friend was planning something. "What did you do?"

"It has nothing to do with you. I promise, Estel. It has everything to do with your brothers. They should have warned me for I know they saw what you were going to do." Estel was not thoroughly convinced.

They entered the dining hall and sat down with Elladan and Elrohir. The hall was unusually empty but that was fine with them. They just wanted to be about, doing what they normally did. Legolas nudged Estel and pointed to the food. He smiled and then looked at his brothers. Both twins stopped midway to their mouths and reached for a glass of water. They looked murderously at Legolas.

"Are you trying to poison us, Legolas?" Elladan could barely speak. His mouth felt as though it was on fire. Legolas was laughing hard, the tears in his eyes, threatening to fall down. Though he made no noise, his shoulders shook with mirth.

"No, my friends. It's just that you should have told me. I would have spared you." The twins' jaws dropped. They should have known but they were not expecting it.

"All right, all right, you won. Can we not have anymore pranks? Promise?" Legolas and Estel nodded. "Good." Elrohir went back to eating. Elladan glanced at Legolas, suddenly remembering what the prince had said the night before.

"Legolas, what were you saying about those hunters yesterday?" Estel stopped eating and glanced at the elf. Legolas was looking at his brother. He did not reply right away.

"They were looking for someone. I was just wondering why they were so close to Rivendell, that is all."

"That I cannot answer. Actually, I was surprised that you had even seen them. I guess we will have to find out what they wanted." The other three nodded and then continued eating.

SSSSS

Lanon sat at a table by himself. He was frustrated and angry but did not want tell anybody about it. He was hoping to catch the man the day before but it had not been so. He was truly upset with that. He did not have the patience to wait him out. Terend knew that but was not about to let him onto it. There were other things that he needed to accomplish.

"Don't look so angry, Lanon. We will catch that man very soon. He is sure to be going through these parts in the next few days." Terend's voice was low, just like it had been yesterday and other the other days Lanon had known him. His black hair had been pulled back and held by a strip of leather. He was a tall man with a long scar across his left cheek. Lanon did not know how he had gotten that.

"Are you sure that we will get him?" Terend nodded and turned away from him. _You better hope so_, he thought angrily. He did not want to lose this chance to bring this man to justice.

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Thanks so much for the reviews. I had this story a while back but took it off and rewrote it. I'm glad you like it so far. I hope you continue to read it.

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seeing-spots: Thanks. I try to make it natural and have the characters do things that people would normally do. I have to thank my four siblings for that. They're a good reference point.

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Deana: I'm glad you thought that is was funny. I try my best to write and incorporate some comic relief. It helps break up that serious tension. Anyway, I have a question for you. I have seen some of your stories and I was curious. The Mummy stories you write, are they based off of the movie or a television show? I'm leaning towards the movie. It's been a while since I last saw the movies and I just wanted to make sure.

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leggylover03: I posted this as soon as I finished editing it. More angst and such to come. :)

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Amindar: The beginning is always my hardest part to write. I'm thankful for the compliment. That is spooky. A sense of déjà-vu. Interesting. All right. I will hurt the ranger but not kill him, I promise. I would never kill the ranger. Never.

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Beling: They were the girly type, so Estel was not very happy. I thought it would be an interesting touch, don't you think? I try my best to make things original.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The mystery which binds me still--  
From the torrent, or the fountain--  
From the red cliff of the mountain--

-- Edgar Allen Poe

Lanon was still sulking. It had been three days since they entered the town and they still did not see the one they were after. He sat by the window, sharpening his knife since he had nothing better to do. In his mind, he was beginning to think that Terend did not know what he was saying. They would catch this man but it was becoming increasingly obvious that he was not going to come.

Lanon huffed once and put his knife away. Terend had told him to wait for his signal. That had been hours ago. He was growing increasingly impatient.

SSSSS

Strider mumbled something incoherent and turned over in his bed. He was not sure when he had fallen asleep. He sat up in bed a long while just thinking about things, random things in particular. A bright light appeared before his eyes and he jerked awake, jumping up in his bed. He heard the quiet laughter of Legolas and relaxed. He was not expecting that to happen. He glared at the wood-elf and got out of bed.

"It's about time you awoke. I was beginning to worry." Strider threw his shirt at Legolas and reached for a clean one. It hit the elf in the face but that did not seem to spoil the elf's good time. "What are you planning on doing today, anyway?" Strider did not say anything. "Estel?" Estel turned to face him, his forehead crinkled in concentration.

"I have to go into a village. I forgot that I was supposed to meet some people there today. If I leave now, I may not be late." Strider grabbed his boots and quickly slipped them on. He left his room in a rush, Legolas on his heels.

"Meet whom, Estel? Do not leave me out in the cold like this." The elf grabbed his friend's shoulder and spun him about.

"Two other rangers. They promised to tell me how the negotiations went. I have to go Legolas." Estel saw Glorfindel down the hall and asked him to tell his father that he was leaving for a day, possibly two. Legolas waited until the human was out of earshot before telling Glorfindel the same thing. He was going to go with his friend, even into the village.

"Wait up, Strider. I am going with you." The young ranger was about to protest when Legolas' hand shot up to silence him. "Besides, Human, you need someone to protect you." Strider's look of incredulous made Legolas laugh as they hurried to the horses.

SSSSS

Terend kept his dark blue eyes open for any signs of the man. He kept in the shadows where it was almost impossible for anyone to find him, even an elf perhaps. He saw two people coming down the road next to him and watched as they moved passed his hiding place. He just watched and did nothing to attract their attention to him. He saw their faces clearly and carefully moved away. They were heading towards the village. He would just get the man in the village. There were plenty of dark alleys.

He let out a whistle that sounded more like a birdcall and alerted his men to go back. _At least Lanon will be happy_, he thought.

SSSSS

"Have your brothers been thinking of ways to get me back for what I did? All I did was put something spicy in their food, I swear."

Estel turned to Legolas and smiled. It had been two days since that had happened. He knew his brothers well and nodded grimly. They would be planning something but he did not know what.

"Knowing them, they are. I just don't know what and would prefer to not know." Legolas groaned silently from beside him and glared at the ranger.

"That is very comforting, Strider, very comforting."

"Your welcome, Legolas. I am glad it was." Estel kicked his horse into a fast gallop in order to get away from Legolas. The elf would be going after him next if he were not careful.

"Strider, that was not funny!" Estel could not help but smile. To him, it was funny. He heard the elf's horse coming up closer and slowed his down a bit. "We are almost there." The ranger nodded and saw the gates looming up ahead.

The two friends came up to the gates and waited for them to be opened. They rode in and glanced around the village. The village was a quiet one with people bustling around getting things from the market and the various shops that lined the streets. They paid very little attention to the two visitors and just kept going on their way.

"It is a quiet little town, Strider."

The ranger nodded but remained silent. He found a tavern on the left side of the street. He had decided that he would stay the night and leave in the morning. He dismounted and led his horse to the stables, Legolas only a step behind him. They left their horses there and entered the tavern. Strider glanced around for his fellow rangers but he did not see them. He was growing worried. He had a bad feeling that something happened to them.

SSSSS

Lanon looked up when he saw Terend enter. There was a smile on the scarred face. Lanon smiled, for the first time in days. He knew that the man was found and in town.

"Lanon, the other two were right. He was going to come here today. We will wait until tonight and get him them. We don't want anything to do with his friend. Do you understand me?" Lanon nodded. He was thoroughly happy to wait since his prey was right in town.

"Do you think he will believe us when we tell him that his own friends betrayed him?" Terend nodded and pulled out a knife. Lanon had not seen him take that at all. His smile became broader. Everything was now going according to plan.

* * *

Sorry that the chapter was so short. I am in the process of editing this story. Please forgive me. I love the fact that so many like this story so far. I hope you continue to enjoy.

Of course, I must thank the reviewers for keeping me going. I know that I tend to get off track and forget about things. Thanks for sticking with me so far.

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Strider's Girl: I'm glad that you find this story interesting. I try to make my stories that way. I will be expanding that friendship. Strider and Legolas just have a wonderful friendship. I will definitely keep up the good work.

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Lady of the Twilight Woods: I try. I really do try. Thanks for liking it thus far. I will try to keep that up.

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Amindar: That's the best way to work. Let them think they're safe, spring the trap and make them regret having put their guard. Works every time, though it can't be cliché. Yes, the characters can be tortured but not killed. Never killed. It doesn't quite work that way, though I wouldn't mind trying out a story with character death. It might be interesting.

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Deana: Thanks for filling me in. I wanted to be sure. I have forgotten most of the characters' names, except Jonathon and O'Connell. I remember them pretty well. By the way, what does ROTFL mean? I have never heard of that phrase before. I've been pretty sheltered at a younger age.

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Someone Reading: I'm glad that you thought the purple hair and braids were funny. I'm trying to improve on my humor. It's normally very dry. Yeah, they did get off easy. I'll have to write another story and have them get more than just spices in their food. :)

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aronoiiel: Beginnings are the hard parts. I'm truly, very pleased that I did it right this time. Estel in braids is a very funny image. Dark hair put up in about a hundred braids on Estel is just crying out for laughter.

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leggylover03: I thank you so much. So, very much. You have stuck with me through all of my stories, even the ones I eventually deleted and plan to rewrite them. Thanks for the encouragement and the will to continue on with this story and To Die, To Sleep. I really appreciate it. Legolas just looks so cute with purple hair. Maybe it should have happened. Orlando Bloom could pull that off as the fair-haired Legolas, though not with his dark eyes and dark hair. He's cuter with the dark eyes and hair. I meant hot.

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seeing-spots: I'm glad that you're enjoying this story. It makes me proud of this work of art.

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Beling: I try to keep it as original as I can. I've read many LOTR stories and try to come up with original plot lines. I does get hard, so I try to steer clear of cliché story lines. Those aren't normally the best. Thanks. :)


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Summary: See chapter one.

Chapter Four

Estel's eyes continually scanned the tavern for any signs of the two rangers. The sun had set hours ago and still they did not show. He was worried. They should have showed up by now. They promised that they would. Legolas sat across from but did not say anything as his friend continued to scan the tavern.

Suddenly, Estel's eyes stopped. He recognized the man standing near the door. It was the same one who had been talking loudly in the woods when they had gone hunting. Legolas saw this and turned around to see what he was staring at. He saw the man, too, and knew that it could not be good that he was there.

"Strider," he began, making sure to use his friend's ranger name. "We should go. I do not like the looks of things."

Estel nodded his agreement and they quietly stood up and moved to leave. They had reached the door when the man from the woods grabbed Legolas by the shoulder. He grinned like he was drunk and slapped the elf on the back. Apparently, he was having no more than a good time and the two friends went outside.

A young boy ran up to them, his eyes sad and grave. He looked directly at the human before deciding to talk. His voice was soft and saddened. The two friends listened with interest to what he was saying.

"You have to leave, Mister Strider. Your friends told me to tell you that you have to go back home where you are safe. There are people following your every move. They want you for some reason."

The boy sighed and relaxed slightly, but the grief did not leave his eyes. Estel watched him for a moment. He had seen the other two rangers.

"Tell me, where are the other two rangers?" The boy shook his head and both human and elf got the message. They were dead. "Thank you for the information. You had better hide yourself too. I would not want them to find you either." The boy nodded and ran to hide. Strider looked at Legolas. He nodded at the unspoken statement and both went to get their horses.

The moment they opened the stable doors, four figures appeared before them, weapons brandished high. Two more appeared from behind them and closed the doors, making sure that there was no way to escape. Legolas shifted uncomfortably beside Estel and drew his knives. Strider, likewise, drew his sword. The four in front of them lunged at the same time with the two from behind them. Legolas spun to meet them while Strider fought at the four in front.

Legolas spun quickly and met the other two. They were not truly surprised by his speed and kept to their attack. He heard Strider grunt in pain and moved to help him. He had managed to knock one down but the other was pressing him harder than before. The elf ducked under the swinging blade but did not see that his opponent had drawn a knife from a hidden sheath. The blade cut across his exposed left forearm. He drew it back as fire lanced through his arm and dropped one of his knives. He kicked out with his foot, catching the other in the groin before helping Estel move away from the three that were advancing, two from Estel's side and one from his.

The three remaining attacked them but one immediately drew back, his arm bleeding from an unknown weapon. The two friends could hear their horses rearing back at the sounds of the attack and were surprisingly untied. Legolas used the distraction to his advantage and knocked the last two out cold. Their horses walked over to them and Strider climbed up on his. Legolas retrieved his fallen knife and saw the same boy smile down at him from the rafters. He smiled his thanks and turned to leave.

"Sir Elf, wait a moment please." Legolas faced the young boy. The calm blue eyes shined at him as he handed them a sack. "Please, take these. My sister would be upset if you didn't. She's a good cook." The boy smiled in confidence and reassurance.

The elf accepted the sack and turned back to Estel. He saw the wound the young ranger received and sighed. They would not get far tonight if he was like that. They had to stay somewhere but no where anyone would know where they were. He looked cautiously at the boy. He did not know whether or not the boy could be trusted but decided that if he helped them, there was that chance.

"What is your name?" The boy beamed. He had not heard the elf speak before.

"Jairon, Sir."

"Do you think your family would mind if we spent the night? Strider's wounds need to be bandaged."

A huge smile crept over the boy's face. Immediately, he grabbed the elf's hand. Legolas flinched slightly. He was not expecting the boy to grab his hand.

"My sister wouldn't mind. She's very nice and would take care of Mister Strider and you. She lives not too far from town. Come on."

Legolas halted and pointed towards the horses. Jairon was so excited that he forgot about them. Legolas placed him on top of his and they moved out, Strider grasping the reins as best as he could with one hand, the other winding around his slashed ribs.

SSSSS

Legolas could make out the shape of the house and Jairon seemed even more restless than he already was. He whispered over to Estel and heard him say something back, his voice slurred with pain and weariness.

A rather tall, young woman sat by the door of the house, her eyes closed and head bowed as if in sleep. She was dressed rather oddly in leather trousers, boots and a loose fitting long-sleeved off-white shirt. She did not stir as they drew closer and got off the horses. Jairon ran into the house while Legolas helped Estel to the home. For the first time, the elf noticed that one eyes was half-opened and watching them.

"What do you want here, Sirs?" Her voice was soft and melodic as one hand moved toward her hidden sword. Both eyes shot open and she stood up, the point of the sword aimed at them. She stared hard at them and apparently thought that they were not a threat for she resheathed her sword.

"Your brother said that you would not mind us being here for the night. My friend has wounds that need to be bound. I did not have much of the supplies that I needed to bind it where we were."

She raised an eyebrow and motioned them inside. Legolas followed her upstairs where Estel was placed on the bed. She left and returned minutes later, hands full of supplies. Legolas moved to help her but she did not want his help.

"What are your names, please?"

Her bright green eyes looked from one to the other. Strider tried to rise to a sitting position but she held him down with strength that she did not seem to possess.

"I am Legolas and this is Strider."

She nodded and moved to the supplies she had brought up. She helped Strider out of his leather coat and shirt and gently probed the wound. Legolas watched from a few feet next to her.

"Don't hide, Jairon. I know you are in here. Please, get me my medicine bag and some hot water." The boy crept out of from his hiding spot and went to do as she asked. Legolas was slightly dumbfounded. He had not heard the boy nor was he paying attention. She placed her hand behind her and felt the warm cup and small medicine bag placed inside her palm. "Here, drink this and relax. You're lucky it was a shallow cut, though it doesn't feel like one. You don't need stitches. There is food downstairs, Master Elf, if you wish to eat. You can wait and watch over him if you'd like. Jairon, you need to go eat. Bedtime is soon." The boy scowled slightly but left anyway.

She gingerly cleaned the wound and bound it. Estel lay asleep, his boots pulled off and the blankets tucked up to his chin. She cleaned up everything and headed back downstairs, Legolas tagging along after her.

"I do apologize for Jairon's stealth. He wants to be a ranger, like his father was." Legolas raised an eyebrow in question. He thought that they were brother and sister.

"Do you not mean 'our' father?" She shook her head. She turned around and looked at him, brushing the stray strands of dark hair out of her face.

"He is not my brother. I simply let him think that. It is easier than telling him the truth about some of the things yet to be buried. He doesn't know what happened to his father or mother and is too young to find out now. I am not related to him at all actually. He was placed in my care after his father died." She spoke quickly and in whispers. "Don't tell him, please. Promise me that you won't." The elf nodded and promised.

"Sir Elf, come sit down. Have something to eat. My sister makes good food." Legolas smiled. Before he joined the rambunctious boy at the table, he asked the young lady one more question.

"What is your name, Miss? I do not believe I heard it."

"That is because I did not give it. It is Narina, if you must know. Before you eat, let me see your left arm. Don't think that I didn't see that." Legolas was secretly hoping that she would have forgotten about it. She managed to pin his arm on the table to look at it before he had the chance to run back upstairs and lock himself in Estel's room. _Then again_, he thought, _she probably knows how to pick locks too_. She bandaged it and left him be. They passed for some time in complete silence before Narina decided to speak again. Her voice was low and filled with a type of pity and hatred combined into one.

"Jairon says that he told you of the rangers' message. If you do run into Lanon and kill him, I would not mind. He deserves to be rid of this place for good. He would be more accepted in Hell, than any other place." Legolas watched as she stood up and walked the length of the kitchen and moved to the fireplace where she added logs to the fire to keep the house warm.

"If I may ask, why do you hate him? What did he do?" Narina's green eyes grew dark with pain and a single tear ran down her cheek.

"He killed my family and he nearly did the same for me, his own sister. I don't have the courage to face him yet and I have to keep a promise to someone about the boy." She turned away and in a calmer tone said, "You have to be gone in the morning. I don't want them to find you two here." He nodded though she didn't see it and watched as Jairon fell asleep where he sat in the rocking chair. He smiled at the innocence.

SSSSS

"How could they have escaped? You had them outnumbered." Lanon kept his voice calm as he watched the three that returned to him, announcing their failure. He was upset. They should not have screwed this one up. An elf and a human were their only opponents and there were six of them. Both of them were wounded. They could have easily overpowered them. What went wrong?"

"They had help and their horses were suddenly loose. We don't remember after we blacked out." Terend only nodded. He was watching them closely and had not said a word yet. They would find the two friends at a later date.

* * *

Thanks for having patience for the story to be updated. I've been pretty busy. I just got out of school this past week and it was chockfull of exams, though one of mine was really important. I might be a little late on updating due to summer projects for my AP courses next year. Please continue to have patience for me.

One last thing. The female character in here is just a filler character. She's not in here long. This is not a Mary Sue. I don't write Mary Sue, romance, slash, or anything like that.

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Deana: I try to make my chapters cool. Honestly, I do. Thanks for filling me in. I've heard a lot of the 'laugh' phrases but that's the first time I've heard of that one.

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leggylover03: There will be more Estel pain soon, I promise you that.

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Someone Reading: Thanks for inspiring me. Now I don't feel too bad about having dry humor, though I will never over do. That would make it bad. I'll try to keep you anxious for the next chapters. ;)

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Strider's Girl: I think you read it before too. Yes, it is being rewritten. I saw a lot of mistakes the first time and am redoing the story in hopes of putting the right grammar in it this time. Thanks for the compliment about the characters.

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Kelly Kragen: Thanks. I try my very hardest to make my stories original without them being to AU, though AU is cool. I love it. I'm not going to abandon my stories, though I might take a while to update them. ;)


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

No twanging bowstring ever shot an arrow  
that bored the air it rode dead to the mark  
more swiftly than the flying skiff whose prow

shot toward us over the polluted channel  
with a single steersman at the helm who called:  
"So, do I have you at last, you whelp of Hell?"

-- Dante

Strider's grey eyes opened slowly and closed quickly. Bright sunlight filtered into the room and he thought for a moment that he was back in his own room in Rivendell. Carefully, he pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked around the room. There was really nothing in it except and bed, a rocking chair and a dresser. Legolas occupied the rocking chair, his eyes glazed over in sleep.

He smiled slightly and rubbed his temples at the headache forming. He turned so that his feet were on the ground and slowly stood up. He immediately wished he hadn't. He quickly sat back down and took a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"Strider, are you all right?"

He faced the now awake Legolas and nodded. He was not expecting to be as weak as he was. He eased himself up on his feet again, stretching a little so to not hurt his injured side. Legolas gave a small sigh of relief and stepped out into the hall.

"Where are we, Legolas?" The elf turned to him and gathered their now fully stocked medicine and food bags, thanks to the lady of the house.

"A young woman's home. She took care of you and left earlier this morning. We are to leave as soon as you awoke and had something to eat. We have to move quickly, Strider." Strider nodded and gathered his boots and put them on. He retrieved his shirt, realizing that it had been washed.

"I have to write a small note, Legolas. She did not have to do this." Legolas pulled a small piece of parchment out and laid it on the bed.

"I took care of that. Let us go now, Strider. Hurry and eat. I fear that they may be getting closer." Strider walked down the stairs and sat at the table. Legolas finished gathering their weapons and bags and prepared the horses while his friend ate. As soon as Strider finished eating, they were both gone.

S

The day had gone on without much happening. Legolas and Estel chatted back and forth about the various things they had gotten in trouble with and the possible pranks to pull on the twins.

Estel stopped suddenly and looked around.

He could not go back home now.

He did not want anyone following them to know where he lived.

He glanced over at Legolas and the elf seemed to guess what he was thinking.

"We have to go around. I do not want them to know where I live. Are they following us?"

Legolas shook his head. He had not heard anything yet. He was keeping his senses on high alert just in case someone happened to come by them.

"You know another way to get back to Rivendell?"

"Yes. Follow me."

The two friends galloped off. The last thing they wanted was to bring a fight to Rivendell.

S

Terend observed the ground in his usual calm manner, ignoring the argument taking place between two of Lanon's men and Lanon himself. He could not wait to get this over with. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck with the stupid, selfish bounty hunter for another month. They had spent so much time trying to find the ranger and when they did, he managed to escape with his elven friend.

His other ranger friends were not to forthcoming with much information when he finally managed to pry it from them. They were smart and spoke in riddles, thinking that he would not be able to decipher them. He did and they were both killed afterwards. He did not think much about it.

He looked up and watched as the scarred face moved while talking. He truly did hate Lanon. He would just love the opportunity to finally be rid of him, kill him even. However, he had to endure the many headaches of the man's quarrels. His anger was rising but he refused to let it get to him.

They would find the elf and human soon enough.

"Please, Lanon, that is enough. We are not far behind them."

Dark eyes turned to him and stared incredulously at the ground where they were following the tracks. The man's heavily scarred face widened into a smile though he still stared rather disbelievingly at the prints left by horses. Though the path was well traveled, they had managed to learn how the two friends' horses traveled. Only the third set confused them and made it a little bit difficult to follow the exact path since there were many branch offs coming up the trail.

"Why are we sitting here waiting? Let's get going. The faster I find that boy the better." Lanon huffed angrily and climbed onto his horse. The others followed suit and they were soon off.

S

"We are being followed, Strider."

Legolas glanced behind them but saw nothing yet. He had heard it though. Whoever it was, was close. Estel turned to face him, a look of questioning in his eyes. Suddenly, Legolas smiled. He knew who it was and was a little angered by it.

"Who is following us, Legolas?"

"The little boy. I guess he does not know that elves have an excellent sense of hearing."

"Why would he be following us? It's not safe for him to be. He could get hurt."

Legolas shrugged. He had no idea why Jairon would be traipsing along after them. Estel sighed. He did not want that boy to get hurt. Then he heard it, a horse galloping behind them. Legolas frowned but it was not because of the horse. He had heard something else. Strider failed to notice this as Jairon came up to them, smiling.

"I found you. You play a good game of hide and seek. I wanted to ask you some questions. How did you..." He trailed off, noticing the look both Legolas and Strider were giving him.

"Why did you follow us?" The boy gave him a look, his eyes beginning to water slightly.

"I wanted to be with a real ranger. I wanted to learn how to be one. Please, don't send me away. I only wanted to learn and help." Strider sighed inwardly. Legolas put a hand on his shoulder, urgent and tense.

"We have to get moving, Strider. Something's coming."

Legolas was looking ahead of them, his hand fingering his bow. The hand on Strider's shoulder tightening in exigency. He knew that he would need it. Estel's eyes narrowed slightly. He had no idea of what was coming their way besides the damned bounty hunters.

"What's coming, Legolas?"

There was an awkward silence before Strider heard screeching not far in the distance.

"Orcs."

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. I've been working on other things and rewriting this whole chapter. Thanks for having patience.

Just thought I'd let you know. I have now placed an Updates part on my bio. If you are wondering what has been updated or what is to be expected for the next few days, I will have it posted there. Also, upcoming stories have been placed on my bio as well. I thought that might help some people out.

Another thing, the stories _Harsh Words _and_ A Light from the Shadows_ are going to be deleted and rewritten. I have spotted many mistakes in them and am going to fix them and add or delete specific parts of the story. _Harsh Words_ is going to be re-titled. You can expect them up after these two are finished.

I hope no one is offended by the quote from Dante's The Infernal. I know that the poem has a biblical aspect and I did not mean to offend anyone, if I did.

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Someone Reading: I do think that I made the corrections to chapter four. I won't have a cow over things like that. I actually look forward to reading reviews in which I'm getting things that I could improve on. It tells me what people are looking for, though I also like taking people by surprise. Thanks for the compliment on my action scenes. I work hard on those, though I know some aren't as good as others. :)

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leggylover03: Estel pain is coming in the next chapter.

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Kelly Kragen: Sorry that it took me so long to update. I'm rewriting these last four to five chapters. I didn't like how it originally sounded. Again, I apologize for the long updates. You keep me motivated and I thank you for that. I can't write romance, it's not my style or my genre. My genre is angst. As for Mary-Sue. I honestly don't care for those stories. They just take all the fun out of the friendship between the characters. I like seeing the friendship factor. The update for To Die, To Sleep should be here before this weekend.

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Leela74: Thank you. That's what I was shooting for. I didn't care for the original version. I'm glad you think this is better than the original. :)

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Kelsey: I promise that it won't be a Mary-Sue. Narina is already out of the story. Jairon is staying to add to the angst and worry factor but other than that, it will be strictly Legolas and Strider's friendship. That reason is coming very soon.

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Lyn: I thank you as well for showing me the mistakes. I did go back to correct them. I appreciate seeing things that tell me where I can improve and work harder on. I'm glad that you think this story is interesting.

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Beling: Yes, I guess that is kind of cute. I get a lot of my inspiration from my own siblings and the younger kids I've babysat and things like that. I'm glad that you thought it was cute. :)


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Summary: See chapter one.

Chapter Six

"Orcs."

Legolas notched his bow. He had to prepare. Beside him, Strider pulled out his sword. They had no choice but to fight. With orcs coming from in front of them and the bounty hunters behind them, they were trapped. And, to top all that, they had to protect Jairon. Granted, Narina might have been skilled, the boy was probably not experienced enough to pull off a battle.

"I will take down as many orcs as I can, Strider. You watch my back. I can hear horses coming this way." Strider nodded and turned to face the horses coming. He put Jairon in between him and Legolas in order to keep the boy safe.

The screeches of the orcs echoed all around the forest. They were coming closer. Legolas sighted and let one fly. It hit the lead one in the middle of the forehead. Ten more took its place. Legolas frowned and reached behind him for his knives. There were too many to fight with just a bow. They were getting too close to use distance to his advantage.

Strider had spun around when he heard Jairon shouting and Legolas fighting. Quickly, he joined the onslaught and all three soon found themselves surrounded by the hideous forms. They seemed to want something for they had not bothered killing the two humans and the elf. 'What could be their reason,' Legolas thought as he moved closer to Strider and Jairon.

A loud command in their tongue signaled them to move away from the little group. They found that odd but did not try to draw any more attention to themselves than was necessary.

"Are you all right?" Legolas looked at the boy who was shaking but appeared to be unharmed. Jairon nodded and moved to his horse.

The elf kept listening for the bounty hunters that had been following them. Their horses' noises had suddenly stopped. First, the orcs do not kill them and, then, the sounds of the horses ceased. He was not liking this. Something was truly going on and he did not want to find out about it now. The faster they left this place, the better.

They could not linger.

"What is it, mellon nin?" Strider watched his friend as the elf scanned the area around them before getting on his horse.

"The sounds of the horses have stopped. We better leave." Strider nodded his agreement and the set out. The sooner they made it to Rivendell, the better they would all feel about everything.

S

Lord Elrond stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Something did not feel right. He kept having these feelings that Estel was in danger, a danger that he could not dream of. He feared it but thought that is was nothing more than his paternal instincts kicking in. He had been like that ever since Estel first left to join the rangers.

However, the more he thought about it, the more he feared what would happen. He did not want to lose his youngest son. It would kill him and everyone around him. That was the last thing he needed. He heard Glorfindel's footsteps coming to him from behind and simply ignored them for the moment, his attention turned on the odd feelings he had been having.

"Lord Elrond, I think you should speak to this person by the gate. The messenger says that it is urgent."

Elrond was only half paying attention. His eyes were closed in deep concentration. He was seeing something. Estel was lying on the ground, a deep gash on the side of his head and across his shoulder. There was someone else there, too but he did not know who. The man was not recognizable.

"Elrond?" He heard his name as well as "Ada." Who was he going to believe? "Lord Elrond!" His name being shouted brought him back to reality. Glorfindel was looking at him, blond hair shimmering in the early evening sun.

"Yes, Glorfindel?"

"You should speak to this messenger. He says that it is urgent." Elrond nodded and followed the elf lord down to the gates. A single rider upon a horse was waiting patiently, his left arm hanging limply next to his chest.

"My Lord?" Elrond nodded. "Aye, that is good. I was beginning to think that I went to the wrong place. A good friend of mine told me to warn you about bounty hunters and orcs traveling this way. I do not know when they may pass through but it should be any day now. Well, I must be going. I have to warn the villages." With that said, the messenger bowed his head and rode off.

"Ada, what did he say?" Elrond turned to see Elladan and Elrohir running to him. They appeared to be confused but did not say anything about it.

"He was warning us. Why do you ask?"

"Ada, that man was dead. We were told that he died in battle against orcs." Elrond said nothing. He did not know what to say. This was quite a surprise.

What did it mean?

S

TWANG!!

Legolas heard the sound of the bowstring snap before he saw the arrow. He jumped off of his horse, stringing his bow with equal swiftness. Nothing appeared out of the shadows. The arrow landed harmlessly at his feet.

Where had it come from?

There was nothing around them that he could see or hear but he was suspecting that they were not alone. Strider watched as his friend walked away, still glancing around them. He did not go far and did not have to. More arrows escaped bows but no culprit was seen.

"Legolas!"

The Prince of Mirkwood spun around. The man that been knocked unconscious in the stable was standing Strider, a knife to his throat. The ranger had already been struck with something. A large gash appeared on the side of his face. Jairon was nowhere to be seen. Strider looked at him with pleading eyes. He knew that the young man was telling him to leave but he just could not. He would not leave his friend in a time of need.

"Please Legolas, just leave. Find the boy." The intense grey eyes flickered at him and Legolas nodded. He would find him once he found the boy. Strider watched as his friend left, praying to the Valar to protect him, the boy and himself.

"So, you think I am are going to let that elf go. You're stupider than you look." The man behind Strider whispered harshly into the young man's ear. Another man appeared, his scarred face pulled into a frown.

"That's enough. Go search for the elf and kill him. We have what we need." The other nodded and left quickly. Strider felt his hands being pulled sharply behind him but barely registered the pain. His head was still aching and bright stars were appearing before his eyes. He had been hit hard enough with whatever was used.

"Come on, boy. You've got a lot of explaining to do." A hand clasped tightly around his upper arm and dragged away from the horses and everything else on the path. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Jairon struggling between two men. He only wished that he could have gotten the boy to safety first before any of this happened.

S

Legolas knew that he was being followed. He could hear the footsteps clearly. He ducked behind a tree and cautiously looked around. He could see the one following him. It would not be hard to get rid of that one and go back for his friend. He suddenly felt cold, which was rare for an elf.

It was a little too early for winter to start.

He turned around a saw a man standing behind him, hands up signaling that he was not going to fight anyone. The elf watched him patiently not really knowing whether he could trust this man or not.

"It is all right. I meant no harm. I was just coming to warn you. Orcs are approaching this place. Go find your friend and get to safety. You must hurry." The man's left arm appeared to be broken.

"Are you all right? You're arm looks broken."

"Aye, lad, I'm fine. Just hurry up and go find him before they kill him." Legolas said that he would and glanced back at the one who had been following him.

He went to ask one more question but the man was already gone.

* * *

There's only about two to three chapters left. Yay!

Well, just to let you know. I may not be updating for a little bit. I am busy with projects and waiting for an important phone call about my uncle. There may be updates next week. Right now, I am just updating one chapter of existing stories and that's it.

Thanks for having patience and reviewing.

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Beling: True, true. I think every kid has done some hero-worshipping. I know I did. My siblings did. But following Legolas and Strider. I agree. Quite dangerous.

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leggylover03: He is some. Chapters seven and eight have more, I hope.

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Kelly Kragen: Here's the review for you. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I have a tendency to get sidetracked. Thanks for the compliment. I try to make the chapters worth the long waits. I know some of my other fans are waiting for my anime chapters. Those, I hat to admit, haven't been updated in over a month. I fee bad about it. I trying though. I'm just busy, that's all. Anyway, not really. Jairon is there as a minor character, like any other story. I might bring him back in another story if he fits it. There will be more on Terend and Lanon. A little bit more on the personality of the two of them. Sorry for updating To Die, To Sleep too late. I really meant to get it out earlier but I had to finish my book first. I'm really glad you like this story. :)


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,  
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep--  
No more--and by a sleep we mean to end  
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks  
That flesh is heir to! 'Tis a consummation  
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep--  
To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,  
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

-- Shakespeare

Elladan watched as his brother hurriedly prepared his horse. They were going out to search for their brother and had pleaded with Lord Elrond to stay behind. They told him that they would bring Estel back with them and that he would be fine.

Elladan himself felt that something was terribly wrong. He just could not explain why he felt that way. Elrohir climbed atop his horse and they kicked off, heading to the town that Estel had said that he was going to.

It was possible that he was still there.

"Do you think he is all right, Elladan?" The elder twin shot his brother a quick look.

"Why do you ask that question, Elrohir? Of course I think that he is all right. He has a hard head."

"I was just wondering. I know that he has a hard head."

Both brothers knew just how hard his head was but were still surprised by some of the things he found himself stuck in. They tended to be something bad and left him near death half the time.

S

Legolas was still staring at the area behind him. The man had left without a single sound. No crunching of the ground underneath footsteps. No swishing as he turned around. Nothing. How was that possible? Humans were not normally so quiet in their departure.

He glanced around, thinking that the man was toying with him. There was no one there. Why had he not heard him leave? That, in itself, surprised him the most.

I should be trying to find Estel, he thought to himself. He moved from his place of concealment and began to follow the path that the bounty hunters took not too long ago. Hopefully, he would get there in time. _Besides, the one they sent after me will not be able to find me that easily._

S

Night was approaching swiftly for Elladan and Elrohir. They had reached the town where Estel said that he would be. A few witnesses stated that he and his companion left about two days before but they did not know where they had gone for sure.

One of the other villagers approached them just as they were about to leave, telling them to head towards a cabin in the woods not far from where the village was situated. The boy was sure to have taken them there. And so, they were following the path that had been laid out in front of them.

They had to find their younger brother.

A house came into view and they cautiously neared towards it. They had heard rumors about that house from the village. It was obvious that some of those villagers did not think that elves had extraordinary hearing. There was something about that house that was foreboding.

An arrow whizzed past Elladan's ear and embedded itself in the tree next to his head. The twins started at the closeness but neither could see nor hear anything other than the natural noises of the woods. A voice, soft at first and then demanding and ominous spoke out from somewhere in the shadows.

"What do you want here? I will not miss the next time." They looked around but could still see no one.

The voice seemed to echo everywhere, giving the impression that the person was in numerous places at once. Elrohir turned to his brother who nodded. They might as well try to reason with whoever it was in the shadows.

"We are looking for someone and were told to look here." There was no response. Whoever it was must have been thinking.

"Who are you looking for? I have seen many people come through here." The twins hesitated.

"We are looking for a ranger. He is quite young to be one." Again, there was no immediate response. There was a slight rustle from the trees ahead of them. Someone was shifting about in the branches.

"Ah, yes, Strider. I saw him some time ago. I do not where he went." A figure dropped down from the trees and collapsed upon hitting the ground. "Try the forest. Who knows what lies in there now. Too many bounty hunters are around. Just go." The brothers looked at each other and carefully walked toward the figure.

"You know where he went. Where? Where did he go?"

The figure stared hard at them and blinked. Elladan recognized the clothing of a ranger. Dried blood caked the side of the man's face and green tunic. He could see the pain slowly glazing the dark eyes as the owner attempted to ignore it and refuse to let it show.

"I sent a boy to let him and his elven friend to go home and make it quick. It's too dangerous out here. He is wanted by bounty hunters. Something about him being a murderer." The man paused and took a shuddering breath. "I tried to reach him but I was too late. It's not easy walking around wounded like this. I know Strider. He's no...murderer." The voice trailed off at the end of the sentence.

Elladan placed two fingers by the man's neck. He was still alive. The ranger's eyes flew open and stared at the elf, not really seeing him. His voice seemed a little stronger.

"Who sent you this way? Why did you come out here?"

"We were warned by a ghost." Elrohir felt his brother nudge him in the ribs. He realized then that maybe he should not have said that. The young woman probably thought they were crazy. The man gave a small smile.

"A ghost, eh? It doesn't matter. Just find him and give him this. I didn't have a chance to." Elrohir took the piece of parchment out of the man's hand. The ranger's eyes closed and he took one last shuddering breath.

The twins exchanged looks.

S

Strider felt the man let go of his arm and he sank to the ground, exhausted. Next to him, Jairon was let go of as well. Both had traveled a good amount during the course of a few hours. It surprised him that they had managed to get far. Lanon went over to them and squatted in front of the young ranger.

"In a few days, you will have known everything that you seemed to have forgotten. Shall I refresh your memory, boy?" The bounty hunter sneered and pulled out a dagger that had been hidden by his cloak. Strider held back his gasp when he realized whose it was.

"Why did you kill them?" His voice was sharp and Lanon backed away in surprise. He did not think that this young man was close to those two other rangers.

"I guess they deserved it. They knew you and I could not have them warn you about our presence."

Lanon looked relieved to see the Terend had come to his aide. The black-haired man looked at the two prisoners without any emotion written on his face.

Strider was fuming with anger. He was so angry now that he did not know how to reply. Two of his good friends were dead and it was because of him. He did not care how he reacted after this. He would kill them if he managed to free himself.

"The younger of the two was probably the one that put the most trouble but I am sure that you're aware of that hot temper of his." Terend smiled and walked off. Lanon followed suit, not wanting to be there by himself.

S

"Terend, maybe we should teach that boy a lesson. He should not disrespect us like that." Lanon was bloodthirsty and wanted to see someone in pain.

"You think so?" Terend smirked slightly and turned his back on the scarred man. "I can't stop you."

Lanon made his way over to the young ranger once again, this time accompanied with two or three of his men. He was going to teach him a lesson soon and would not stop until his lesson had been learned. He pulled out the dead ranger's dagger and a vial of something that Strider did not know what was in it and a strip of gauze.

It was time for the pain to come forth.

* * *

Two more chapters left. I thought I would be busy but I have managed to get this chapter up. My grandmother's not leaving for Florida like she was thinking she might.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews.

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Kelly Kragen: You've pretty much hit the nail on the head. I thought a ghost or spirit would add a little something more to the story. True enough. The reason is coming up soon. I've been working on keeping suspense. I hope you didn't have to wait to impatiently. It's just been so hectic this summer with projects for school, a recent death in the family, and my sister flying out. But everything's okay now. As soon as this story is done and my other one, Live to Tell should be able to be posted. I have to thank Shakespeare, some artists, and my muse for the titles. I'm glad that you liked them.

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leggylover03: I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. Nili is a great writer. :)

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Susan Black: Thanks for the review. I'll keep writing. I'm glad you'd like to read more.


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Summary: See chapter one.

Chapter Eight

Elladan and Elrohir hurried through the forest, being careful enough to look for any signs of passing. So far, they had found nothing. He was with Legolas. How hard could it be to find him? They both did not want to think about what could happen to their brothers.

Suddenly, they both stopped. They heard something coming from the trees not too far from them. Both brothers placed their hands on their bows. The figure jumped out of the cover of the trees, causing Elrohir to fall off his horse in surprise. The Prince of Mirkwood stood before them, his own bow strung in case of an attack. He would have laughed extremely hard had they not been looking for Estel. The expression of Elrohir's face was not something that he would forget too soon anyway.

"Legolas, where have you been? Where is Estel?" Cobalt blue eyes looked at them. His arm dropped to his side and his bow drifted away from its intended aim.

"I do not know. He told me to leave and I have been followed for some time. I think the man gave up when he realized how hard it was to track an elf on foot." The twins were full of questions and Legolas quickly told the story as they prepared to leave. It appeared that they had not much time to find the young ranger. Something bad was going to happen.

S

Strider watched the bounty hunter warily. Something was not right about the man and that vial was something that he paid close attention to now. Two of his men grabbed onto his shoulders and he realized that he could barely move. Faster than his eye could follow, Lanon had cut a deep wound in his arm. Estel squirmed. He got the idea once his arm had been cut. Lanon was pouring something onto the gauze and, since Strider could not move, quickly bandaged the cut. Nothing happened at first but then the ranger felt searing pain shoot through his limbs. He had never felt so much pain before.

The men let him go and he fell to his side and curled up into a ball. The pain was excruciating. He could barely hear Jairon calling his name. He bit down on his lip to stop himself from screaming in pain. He did not want to give the satisfaction of them hearing him cry out from the pain. He was left alone but could feel Lanon's eyes on him. He shut his own silver eyes in hopes of trying to dull out the incessant throbbing in his entire body. Finally, it became too much.

He let out a howl of pain before biting down hard on his lip to stop himself from doing that again.

S

The three elves did not miss that sound. They instantly followed the sound and soon came to a point where they could see flames burning into the night sky. They could see Estel lying on the ground and a boy trying to reassure him. Elladan and Elrohir seized Legolas before the fair-haired elf could storm into the camp.

"We must wait, Legolas. We cannot just go in there. Besides, we must find the sentries. I could have sworn that I heard a few not to far from where we are. The camp is less than an eighth of a mile away. We have to be careful." Legolas nodded to Elladan and the three of them moved away from where they were to a place where they could hide but still keep an eye on Estel.

S

Elrond sat staring at the night sky from his balcony. He had been thinking about those images of the other day. They were coming back to him and the feeling that something was wrong refused to leave him.

__

Estel was lying on the crowd, trying to curl up into a ball. He was in pain, terrible pain. He screamed, unable to keep that pain under control.

Elrond jumped to his feet. It was true. Estel was hurt but how. He did not see any wounds. He could only hope that Elladan and Elrohir found him soon. He could not continue to see these things happening to his youngest son.

The elf lord placed his trembling hands on the railing of the balcony. He hoped that his son would be found and brought back home.

S

Lanon was laughing at the pain he was seeing. A few of the others were joining in as well. The ranger lay there, trembling with uncontrollable pain and trying desperately to stop the waves of agony that were flowing through his body. His very being felt as though it were on fire or worse. The bounty hunter liked seeing this kind of torture. There was no blood but just the view of seeing someone in extreme pain satisfied him. He enjoyed it.

Jairon did not touch his newfound friend. He knew all too well what was going on. He had seen it before and knew better than to touch Strider. That would just send more pain shooting through his being. The others did not know that. Soon, some of Lanon's men began to kick him. Strider barely registered the pain from the new abuse. He only wished it to be over soon.

An arrow embedded itself in the foot of one of them, causing him to howl from the unexpected hit. More soon followed until they managed to back away from the ranger. Two elves appeared from behind the ranger and the third was at the opposite end of the camp. Terend was nowhere to be seen.

"If you are going to kick a man we he is down, then that proves that you are low." Elrohir stepped closer to his human brother but Jairon stopped him from touching him.

"You mustn't. He will hurt even more." Elladan's eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked at Lanon. The heavily scarred bounty hunter backed away in fear. He did not expect to see more elves. He thought one was enough. Elladan moved closer until their faces were inches apart.

"You should not have angered us." He said nothing more.

S

Terend watched the scene with amusement on his face. Lanon was finally getting what he deserved. The only one that caught his attention was the lone elf that had rendered most of the other men unconscious. He wanted to fight him, just see what the elf was capable of.

S

"Who sent you here and why?" Lanon was so frightened that he answered Elrohir's question.

"I don't know his name. All I know was that I was given the task to retrieve that ranger for a murder he committed." Elladan's face showed his confusion. His brother would never have committed murder. That was not like him at all.

"Who did he kill?"

"The governor's son."

"Strider would not kill anyone, bounty hunter." Legolas finally made it over to them. "I know him well and he would not willingly take another life for just nothing. He would not kill if he could help it." The prince's voice was cold as he spoke to Lanon.

"And that would be true." A sudden voice filtered through the campsite.

"Terend, help me."

"Why would I bother to do that?"

A form suddenly jumped from the shadows and attacked the elf prince from behind. Legolas, having acute hearing like all elves, dodged out of the way. Terend did not slow and soon the elf found himself trying to avoid the blade at all costs. The man was fast, faster than most humans. Legolas ducked quickly and felt the end of the blade sink deeply into his shoulder. Terend was laughing but he did not slow in his attack.

S

Strider slowly felt the pain leaving him. He was being picked up by someone and carried away from his current location. He opened one eye cautiously and saw Elladan carrying him. He smiled slightly. He missed his brothers and his father. He just wanted to be home and that was all he wanted.

S

"Do you really wish to know who killed that pathetic boy? I'll tell you. I did and I am not sorry for that. It's easy to manipulate the minds of people who are much weaker than you."

Terend attacked viciously but Legolas hand the upper hand once he moved back. The man's momentum worked against him and he fell. He was not expecting such a move. He was quickly disarmed and Lanon came over to him with Elrohir's eyes watching his every move carefully.

"So, you wanted to destroy the life of someone else and dragged me into it. I can't believe how stupid I am for falling for something like that. That was weak. Did you happen to kill my family too and disguise yourself as me?" Terend smiled maliciously but Lanon was the quicker. His sword went straight through the other's stomach. "I hope that I will be forgiven."

The elves watched silently as Terend died and Jairon followed Lanon back home. They did not say anything about what had just taken place. They went over to Elladan and Estel. Legolas and Elrohir got up on Elrohir's horse and hurried in the direction of Rivendell.

S

Elrond was relieved to see his sons and Legolas safely return to Rivendell the following morning. He immediately looked at Estel and then Legolas, saying that both would be just fine. He could not be happier. At least they were all alive.

Estel awoke later on that afternoon. He found himself face to face with Legolas who seemed to be grinning at some unknown fact that he himself knew nothing about. The Prince of Mirkwood sat at the edge of the bed and gazed out of the window for some time before he decided to enlighten the human.

"I am glad that you are fine. Besides, I did not want you to miss this. I am going back home, to Mirkwood and I want you to come. Will you?" Estel stared at his friend as though he was going to keel over any minute. He wondered if his elven friend was all right. Legolas laughed at the look on his face and stood up.

"I will go Legolas but I am afraid that you may have to rest before you leave this place. Are you sure that you are well?" Legolas raised an eyebrow and dashed out of the room without answering Estel's question. Estel remained sitting up in bed. He would be leaving his home again and this time, he would get to see Mirkwood. He could hardly wait. Then, something struck him. He jumped out of the bed and ran down the halls, calling Legolas' name and threatening him should he decide to do any more pranks.


	9. Epilogue

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

Summary: See chapter one.

Epilogue

Teldil, the captain of the guard, watched impassively as King Thranduil walked the several yards to his wife's resting place. Something had been plaguing the king. Teldil knew it had to have something with the letter he received not long ago. He wished that the youngest prince would arrive soon.

The gates opened and a fair-haired elf entered, a weary expression on her tanned face. She leapt gracefully from the silver horse and grasped the reins to lead him to the stables. Teldil hurried over to her and bowed. She blinked in response.

"I believe something may be wrong with your father, Your -" she waved her hand to stop the formality, "- Tárawen." She nodded and continued on to the stables.

"I will speak with him, Captain. Please, keep an eye out for my brother." Teldil let out a smile. A guard ran to him and he abruptly turned to face him.

"Captain, something is wrong in the forest. It is quieter than usual." Teldil raised a golden eyebrow and followed the younger guard out of the gates.

The forest was indeed quieter than usual. The silence clung to all of the elven guards like a second skin. The feeling of dread hung in the air. Teldil's blue eyes scanned the immediate area before turning to Ruinaew. The younger looked expectantly at him.

"Ruinaew, prepare your horse." He pointed to three random guards and gave them the same command. He hurried to get his own steed before setting out to discover what was causing such a drastic disturbance.

The shadows of the forest hung in the desperate search for light. Hundreds of tiny, holographic eyes looked down from the canopies above.

Another pair of eyes, brilliant in contrast to everything else, watched the guards as they came down the paths.

The time had come.

The End.

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This story is officially complete. The sequel, 'A Light from the Shadows' will be posted as soon as I have finished editing the first chapter. It probably won't be posted until after I start school, August 10, due to the fact that I have two stories that need to be finished first.

Also, the prequel, 'Live to Tell' will be posted after August 10 as well. I hope I won't lose any of you reviewers and fans. I'm struggling to finish my projects and must get them done by next Friday.

I was wondering if anyone has read 'Paradise Lost' by John Milton. I was wondering if it was as good as I've heard. I'm planning on reading it after I finish East of Eden.

Thanks for reviewing on this story. I really appreciate it. You've made me continue on with the editing of this story. I'm glad that you liked and that you stuck by it to the end.

I hope to see you guys, and gals, in August.

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Kelly Kragen: I must really stop doing that. I seem to have that problem. Sorry for the confusion. I put it in there and got rid of the original scene. Again, I do apologize for that. Gotta love evil dudes. I know I do. I'm usually attracted to the villains or antagonists of stories. I don't know why. I liked Saruman. I liked Malfoy. I guess I love bad boys. I'm going to try to make the next two stories a lot better.

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leggylover03: Yes he will. And they always arrive. I love those kind of relationships. :)


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